Not With Our Taxes

The real hidden tragedy of the Astrodome: Taxpayers pay big for failures oficon's caretakers

The Astrodome
Who would have imagined that the Astrodome's wonder-filled start would lead tothis?

Houstonians are being rooked. Their attention is being diverted from the colossal waste of their taxpayer money, the real issue, to talk of what our Astrodome could become — even if flattened.

Recently Houston media representatives were led on a tour of the Astrodome’s interior which has been closed since 2008 when, overnight, it became unsafe. This photo op resulted, as fully intended, in videos and images of the woe-begotten facility. Preservationists were dutifully saddened and empathetic, while pragmatists saw all the proof they needed to blow this baby up.

It was enough to make us want to do something — anything — to make this situation go away. But there’s the rub.

Would members of the Sports and Convention Corporation & County Commissioners neglect their own property like this?

While everyone is focused on how awful it looks, nobody seems willing to dig into this mess and find out how a small group of people in charge of millions of our tax dollars let this happen and hold them accountable. And to prevent them from doing it again.

By my estimation, the absolute minimum the Harris County Sports and Convention Corporation (stewards of the building) and the Harris County Commissioners to whom they report, have approved spending on the Astrodome is more than $19,420,210 million* — only to have the former Eighth Wonder of the World end up in the sorry state it is today. The fact that they have done nothing to keep the building from falling apart inside is reprehensible.

The average property owner’s taxes here are $2,761 annually. Would you give me another two grand if I had thrown away the first two? And never even owned up to it?

A year ago, in the first CultureMap article I wrote about the Astrodome dilemma, I made clear that I had formerly worked on a movie studio project being proposed for the Dome. That affiliation ended around three years ago, but it gave me a better than average understanding of how county government works, as well as of the physical Astrodome itself; I toured it with a noted structural engineer.

Instead of worrying about “what to do with the Dome,” Houstonians should be demanding a solution to improve its current condition, to protect their investment. Every property owner knows that maintenance is far less expensive than waiting until a wall caves in.

Would members of the Sports and Convention Corporation and County Commissioners neglect their own property like this?

Around $30 million is still owed in debt on the building. How much interest are we still forking over on that?

No matter what the upcoming study will suggest, there is no money to implement any recommendation, even demolition. The caretakers should get this house in order first, taking care of debt and making repairs to prevent further deterioration.

That is, after all, their responsibility.

*$18,800,000 million to buy out the remainder of the Astros' lease; $517,000 for repairs so the Rodeo could use the Astrodome one last time; $3,200 for inspections and a temporary certificate of occupancy for the Rodeo's last ride; $50,000 for a workshop to study what to do with the Astrodome; $50,000 more for the Sports and Convention Corporations' share of a $500,000 study that was due in December; $30 million (plus or minus a few million) of debt still owed.

Grand total $49,420,210 — and that's only the tip of the proverbial iceberg and we still have a deteriorated building that is a horrible PR image for our grand city.

See Channel 11's recent look inside the Astrodome:

unspecified

THE AMERICAN DREAM

How long it takes to save for a home down payment in Houston

iStock

Houstonians don't have to save long to afford a down payment.

Saving for a down payment remains one of the biggest barriers to homeownership nationwide, but a new report from Realtor.com shows San Antonio area buyers face a far shorter wait than most Americans.

According to the real estate site’s 2025 analysis, the typical U.S. household needs seven years to save for a standard down payment, a notable improvement from the 12-year peak in 2022. Still, the timeline remains roughly double the pre-pandemic norm, reflecting higher home prices, larger down payments, and lower household savings rates.

Houston, however, stood out as one of the most accessible major metros in the nation. The Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands metro boasted one of the shortest time sto save for a down payment among the nation’s 50 largest markets, with households needing just 3.5 years to reach a typical down payment, according to the study.

The report found that Houston’s median down payment from January through November was $14,927. A median household income of $83,452 was estimated to produce an annual savings of $4,228. Notably, San Antonio, the only other Texas city included in the report, had the shortest time to save for a down payment at just 1.3 years.

Nationally, the time needed to save has shortened as home price growth cooled and affordability modestly improved. Still, saving for a down payment takes significantly longer than it did before the pandemic.

“Higher home prices and intensified competition have pushed typical down payments higher, at the same time that inflation and rising household expenses have reduced savings rates,” said Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com, in a release. “Although conditions have improved since 2022, today’s timeline shows that saving for a home takes meaningfully longer than it did before the pandemic, especially in high-cost markets.”

Lower savings rates have played a key role. The U.S. personal savings rate has averaged 5.1 percent of income so far in 2025, down from the pre-pandemic norm of 6.5 percent, limiting how quickly households can build funds for upfront housing costs. Meanwhile, the typical down payment has more than doubled over the past six years — rising from about $13,900 in the third quarter of 2019 to $30,400 in the third quarter of 2025.

In high-cost coastal metros, the impact is far more severe. Saving for a down payment can take 20 to more than 35 years in California cities like San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, and San Diego, effectively sidelining many first-time and moderate-income buyers.

“In high-cost markets, the typical down payment alone exceeds a full year of household income,” said Hannah Jones, Realtor.com senior economic research analyst. “That reality makes homeownership feel unattainable for many buyers, particularly younger households trying to enter the market for the first time.”

Despite those challenges, the report notes that roughly three-quarters of Americans still consider homeownership part of the American dream. Realtor.com says easing rents could help first-time buyers save more, while repeat buyers may use accumulated savings to reduce loan balances and manage higher monthly payments.

“Saving consistently, even in small amounts, is a meaningful first step toward homeownership,” Jones said. “In today’s market, building that financial cushion can make a real difference when buyers are ready to act.”

home market economy down payments home ownership real estate